The "Omnibus" environmental simplification package approved by the European Economic and Social Committee in March (of which I was its main rapporteur) emerges as a response to the growing regulatory density accumulated in the 2019-2024 period to face the challenges derived from climate change. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), as a body representing employers, workers, and social entities of the Member States, has evaluated these proposals in an opinion in which it warns that administrative simplification should not be understood as a setback in environmental objectives, but as a driver of efficiency for European competitiveness.
The core of the "Omnibus" initiative lies in reducing unnecessary administrative burdens that hinder businesses and administrations, to allow them to focus on tangible environmental results instead of procedural complexity.
The core of the "Omnibus" initiative lies in reducing unnecessary administrative burdens that hinder businesses and administrations, to allow them to focus on tangible environmental results instead of procedural complexity. The EESC emphasizes that an improved regulation (which we can understand here as simplified) is a sine qua non condition to guarantee legal certainty, the suitability of laws according to objectives and to reduce fragmentation among Member States, which in turn strengthens the internal market.
The proposal covers a series of critical legislative modifications, among which stand out the relaxation of rules on extended producer responsibility in sectors such as batteries, packaging, electronic waste and single-use plastics or the reconsideration of objectives in those countries where deposit-return systems (known as SDDR) already implemented are working well. Likewise, a revision of impact assessments is proposed so that they include both environmental effects and effects on business competitiveness. The EESC requests that these assessments be published before the adoption of the texts since their conclusions can be decisive in terms of efficiency and suitability of the texts.
The principle of "a single time"
One of the proposals that could have a greater impact is the so-called “once-only principle" (once only), with the aspiration of becoming a cornerstone of EU environmental governance. This principle seeks for companies to provide their data only once so that it can be reused in different regulatory frameworks, avoiding duplications that consume substantial resources from an administrative point of view.
Along these same lines, among the specific proposals of the CESE stand out:
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Harmonization of notification formats and methodologies to eliminate inconsistencies between parallel legislative acts.
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Rationalization of authorization procedures, ensuring proportionality between the risk of the activity and the administrative burden, without compromising environmental impact assessments in high-risk projects.
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Effective digitalization, through interoperable platforms that replace, and do not add, new obligations.
It is not necessary to be a jurist or a businessman to understand the logic of these proposals emanating from the highest consultative body of the European Union.
The current regulatory fragmentation generates additional operating costs that place European products at a disadvantage compared to others still based on fossil fuels. A concrete example is the status of "end-of-waste status": the CESE proposes mutual recognition among Member States to facilitate the market for secondary raw materials and reduce uncertainty for investors.
The CESE defends that simplification measures must be accompanied by effective market surveillance and traceability mechanisms to ensure fair competition
Furthermore, there is a legitimate concern about global competitiveness. EU companies face complex compliance obligations that are not always required of operators from outside the Union. Therefore, the EESC advocates that simplification measures must be accompanied by effective market surveillance and traceability mechanisms to ensure fair competition. It is urgent that simplification measures are perceived by companies in all sectors since, currently, they undermine competitiveness and severely limit investments.
The climate ambition and the operational reality
Civil society demands that any simplification measure be based on thorough prior impact assessments, that analyze not only the environmental benefit, but also administrative viability, business competitiveness, and the impact on workers' health and safety. The participation of civil society ensures that simplification does not become a disguised deregulation, but rather a transparent process that reinforces environmental protection, while safeguarding Europe's economic resilience.
In conclusion, the Omnibus package is a strategic opportunity to align climate ambition with the operational reality of the European productive fabric. Only through constant dialogue with civil society and a coherent regulatory framework, will the European Union be able to lead the green transition without leaving behind its industrial competitiveness.